Hospital equipment technician/infrastructure maintenance specialist , Tanzania

A new way of volunteering with VSO: 2 weeks, every 2-3 months for up to 3 years for an experienced hospital equipment technician/infrastructure maintenance specialist in Tanzania

Background

The St. Francis Referral Hospital (SFRH) is located in Ifakara, Southern Tanzania and has a capacity of 400 beds and attracts approximately 700,000 referral patients per year from Kilombero and other neighbouring districts. The hospital is connected historically and operationally to a number of other health institutions. All the local partner institutions depend on each other in order to be able to act as a platform for health care, training and research. Through the support of volunteers there is real potential to strengthen Ifakara as a centre of excellence in healthcare, training and research.

In order to allow the hospital to fulfill its role as a regional referral and teaching hospital, quality of services need to be improved through better infrastructure, strengthening of the financial and human resource management and by ensuring availability of qualified staff, equipment and drugs. Swiss Development Cooperation and VSO are supporting the SFRH to improve its quality of healthcare services in a sustainable way by offering accessible and affordable quality services to the population and providing excellent training and research opportunities to the local partner institutions. Based in St. Francis Referral Hospital as Infrastructure Maintenance Specialist you will work in a consultancy capacity closely with the hospital administrator and technical advisory management team to improve the quality of services.

What does the role involve?

• Develop maintenance manual of buildings and machines, including policies and routine and breakdown schedules • Strengthen the Maintenance Unit by building capacity of maintenance staff and creating an inventory of required tools • Develop an effective system of waste disposal and assist in implementation • Develop a long-term 5-year facility plan for preventive maintenance in the long and short term • Main components to be periodically checked and maintained, including: roofs; external walls, including windows and doors; internal structures; sewage and draining systems; water feeding systems, (boreholes, tanks etc…); plumbing; electrical wiring, switches, sockets, boards etc.; road service; surroundings, waste disposal etc

Skills, qualifications and experience required

You’ll be a qualified hospital equipment technician with a degree or equivalent qualifications in the field. You should have a minimum of 5 years working in the field of hospital equipment repair and maintenance. You will be able to teach, train and mentor staff and aid in developing specific goals and plans for the trainees. You must be a team worker with good social and interpersonal skills and networking abilities; and should be able to handle conflicts in a constructive consultative way. You should have a flexible personality, adapting easily to new situations, and being able to set realistic expectations on working in a hospital in the tropics. Knowledge of the challenges of working in Africa would be advantageous.

And the rest....

Ifakara in the south of Tanzania is an authentic savannah grassland area that is green during the rainy season and brown in the dry season. Daytime temperatures vary between 32-39 degrees Celsius throughout the year. Southern Tanzania is home to some of Africa's best national parks and game reserves. There is some good hiking around Mbeya, the largest town in the southwest, but it's the country's two largest parks, Ruaha National Park and Selous Game Reserve that provide the most awe-inspiring encounters with lions, elephants and wildebeests. Mikumi is a smaller national park, but its proximity to Dar es Salaam makes it handy for those without the time for the full safari but who still want to see some wildlife. While on placement, we’ll ask you to commit to 12 weeks per year for up to 3 years to make a sustainable contribution. In return, we’ll give you comprehensive financial, personal and professional support. We'll provide you with extensive training including language classes before your placement, and our financial package includes a local living allowance, return flights, accommodation, insurance and more. When you return to your home country, we'll support you to resettle.

How to apply:

To find out more about volunteering with VSO visit www.vso.org.uk or to apply go tohttp://www.vso.org.uk/volunteer/ and quote T0785/0017/0001 on your application. On average it takes a minimum of 4 months to go through the application process so apply now for departure as soon as possible.